José Ortiz

(1 September 1932 - 23 December 2013, Spain)

José Ortiz Moya was a Spanish comic artist with a career spanning over 60 years. He is best known for his collaborations with Antonio Segura and for his agency work for foreign publishers. Born in Cartagena, Murcia, his career commenced after winning a contest organized by the Spanish magazine Chicos. Throughout the 1950s, he did his first professional work for pocket-sized comics published by Editorial Maga, including 'Capitan Don Nadie', 'Ballin', 'Sebastian Vargas', 'Dan Barry el Terremoto', 'Pantera Negra', 'Jungla', 'El Duque Negro' and 'Johnny Fogata'. In 1958, he was additionally present at Toray with 'Sigur el Vikingo'.

Caroline Baker

Ortiz is best known for his work for foreign publishers, especially Fleetway in Britain and Warren in the USA. In 1962, he illustrated the comic strip 'Caroline Baker, Barrister at Law' for the English newspaper Daily Express. During the 1960s he also drew 'Smokeman' and 'UFO Agent' for Eagle magazine, 'The Phantom Viking' in Lion and contributed to Fleetway collections like Air Arce Picture Library, Commando Library and the Battle Picture Library.

Bat Masterson

Through Josep Toutain's Selecciones Ilustradas agency, he was one of the main contributors to the horror magazines published by James Warren in the USA between 1974 and 1983. He illustrated series like 'Apocalypse', 'Night of the Jackass' and 'Coffin' in Eerie, and 'Pantha' and several other stories in Vampirella. In the late 1970s, he also contributed to the collection 'Grandes mitos del Oeste' with Josep Toutain, and illustrated stories with 'El Cuervo' and 'Tarzan'.

Burton & Cyb (L'Eternauta #71, 1989)

Back on the Spanish market, he began a fruitful collaboration with scriptwriter Antonio Segura in 1981. Together, they created the post-apocalyptic saga 'El Hombre' in Cimoc magazine, followed by 'Jack el Destripador', 'Morgan' and 'Burton y Cyb'. They also took part in the launch of the publishing house Metropol with Leopoldo Sanchez, Manfred Sommer and Jordi Bernet. The short-lived firm produced the comic magazines Metropol, Mocambo and KO Cómics. Ortiz was additionally present in Spanish magazines like 1984, Zona 84 and Totem.

Ozon (L'Eternauta #98, 1991)

Ortiz's British work during the 1980s includes 'The Tower King', 'The Fifth Horsemann' and 'The House of Daemon' for Eagle, and 'The Thirteenth Floor' for Scream!. He also illustrated various 'Rogue Trooper' and 'Judge Dredd' stories for 2000AD. In the 1990s, he focused on working for the Italian market. Together with Segura, he created 'Ozono' in the magazine L'Eternauta, and the humorous serial 'But O'Brien' in Torpedo. Ortiz began a collaboration with Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1993, and has contributed to this publisher's series 'Tex Willer', 'Ken Parker' and 'Magico Vento'.

José Ortiz passed away from heart failure in a Valencia hospital at the age of 81 on 23 December 2013.